Important announcement The SMS chat number has changed. The new number is: 1-877-522-6093. The older one is no longer in service.
Important announcement The SMS chat number has changed. The new number is: 1-877-522-6093. The older one is no longer in service.
Crisis Center North, in collaboration with the Keystone Link Coalition (the Pennsylvania affiliate of the National Link Coalition), is currently offering a series of live webinars to address the link between animal abuse and domestic violence, child abuse, elder abuse, and others. By recognizing the co-occurrence of human and animal abuse, service providers in all fields will be better equipped to stop abuse at the lowest possible level: If abuse is stopped in a family when a pet becomes the first victim, it may never develop further to harm a child, a spouse, or others.
Currently, two webinars have been conducted in 2024 and are available below, with a third webinar to be announced for Fall 2024. These first two webinars are available for free below:
This is the recording of the "Safer Together - Cross-Reporting for Humane and Human Services" webinar presented by Phil Arkow of the National Link Coalition on Feb. 28, 2024. The webinar was hosted by Crisis Center North and the Keystone Link Coalition, and sponsored by the Richard King Mellon Foundation. For more information about the Keystone Link or to become involved, please contact Michael and Victoria at info@crisiscenternorth.org
This is the recording of the "Safer Together: Deep Dive into Child/Animal Abuse, Cross-Reporting for Humane and Human Services" webinar presented on April 24, 2024. The webinar was hosted by Crisis Center North and the Keystone Link Coalition, and sponsored by the Richard King Mellon Foundation. For more information about the Keystone Link or to become involved, please contact Michael and Victoria at info@crisiscenternorth.org
Thank you to presenters:
Claire Coughlin, Coordinator of the Animals and Interpersonal Violence program, and Safe Havens for Pets project, Animal Welfare Institute
Nikki Thompson, Chief Humane Society Police Officer, Bucks County SPCA
An increasing number of states are requiring child and adult protective services caseworkers, social workers, counselors, and veterinarians to report suspected animal abuse, and humane and animal control officers to report suspected abuse of children and older adults. Unfortunately, Pennsylvania lags far behind the national movement recognizing that animal cruelty and other forms of family violence are linked, and that preventing one can prevent the others. This workshop is important because it will introduce you to compelling evidence linking animal cruelty and neglect to elder abuse. In addition, you will hear about the large benefit elders derive from an animal companion, and how to utilize that bond in working with elders.
Hear from keynote speakers Dr. Janet Hoy-Gerlach, with Open Door Veterinary Collective, who will lay the foundation on both the benefit of aging with a pet and the link between animal and elder abuse; Dr. Mary Raukis, with the School of Social Work at the University of Pittsburgh, who will present her Aging with a Pet Guide; and Dr. Jessica Bibbo, Research Scientist with the Benjamin Rose Institute on Aging, who will present her research on aging, caregiving and the human-animal interaction.
Animal abuse frequently is an indicator and predictor of interpersonal, family, and community violence, particularly in domestic violence and elder abuse scenarios. Significant numbers of women report that threats to their companion animals prevent them from leaving abusive relationships. Cross-training and cross-reporting among human services and animal protection agencies are necessary to create more effective species-spanning community collaboratives that prevent and prosecute these interlocking forms of family violence.
Registration is free to all attendees, and 1.5 hours of continuing education credits are available for social workers for $15 that attend the workshop day through the Social Work Department, Slippery Rock University.
